Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation

Susan Olshuff Wins Scholarship for Leadership Training

July 7, 2011

SHEFFIELD, MA—Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation today announced that Susan Olshuff of Lenox is the recipient of a scholarship from the Anne Sanford Legacy Fund. Established in 2009 by The Women’s Times as a fund of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, the Anne Sanford Legacy Fund provides scholarships for women to attend political or professional leadership training programs.

Susan Olshuff has been granted $1,750 to attend The Women’s Campaign School at Yale from July 11-15, 2011. She is a development and fundraising consultant for a range of clients as well as a volunteer for the Town of Lenox Environmental Committee. Susan’s profession as a fundraising consultant has prepared her to understand the issues of raising money, the delicacies, and the opportunities. As a long time environmental activist, Susan’s strengths are bringing people together around important causes. The Women’s Campaign School at Yale will help her to better understand the political process alongside other women who will be supporting each other in stepping into new challenges.

Olshuff says, “I can’t say I know where this training will take me. Could I run for office? Might be. Could I step into policy debates for issues that concern me? Might be. Could I find the confidence to do public speaking in a way that will make a difference? Might be. I can’t say for sure. But I am committed to learning what new leadership might look like as me, and then I want to share that with anyone interested in this all-important journey. What I have learned about Anne Sanford is that she not only gave to the world around her, but she wanted others to be successful as well. This fund is a tribute to her and I want my life to be a tribute to her and her spirit as well. Life as a woman in the early 21st century demands, that we take advantage of the many privileges that earlier generations of women have earned for us. It seems Anne stuck her neck out to make a difference, and now, with so many more opportunities open for women, I am eager to find out what the next level of ‘sticking my neck out’ might be.”

The Anne Sanford Legacy Fund was established by The Women’s Times to honor the memory of Anne Sanford, a pioneering businesswoman and community activist, who for ten years shared her varied business expertise with The Women's Times, serving as a consultant and sales director for the regional monthly. Individual contributions to the fund have been augmented with a significant gift from the Business Women’s Network, a now-defunct networking organization that Sanford helped to found in the tri-state area in the early 1990s.

A committee of community members with expertise in education and leadership development selected the candidates based on the combined criteria of: quality of the training program; potential impact of the program on the applicant’s life and studies/work; and evidence of the applicant’s ambition to apply this training. The next application deadline for the Anne Sanford Legacy Fund is May 10, 2012. Applications can be found online or by calling 413.229.0370.

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation builds stronger communities and improves the quality of life for all residents of northwest Litchfield County, CT; Berkshire County, MA; and Columbia County and northeast Dutchess County, NY, acting as an agent for positive change in the region. Since 1987, Berkshire Taconic has managed a growing collection of charitable funds created by individuals, families and businesses. Each year, the foundation distributes over $7 million through grants and scholarships for programs in the arts and education, health and human services and environmental protection, helping thousands of donors achieve their philanthropic goals and hundreds of nonprofits carry on their good work. Berkshire Taconic is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity.

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